Our Place is a long term socially engaged art project that champions the human rights of people living with intellectual disabilities, led by Artists AlanJames Burns and Sinéad McCann in collaboration with Saint John of God Liffey Services. The project creates access to creative expression, cultural spaces and employment in the cultural sector.
It positions the ideas and talents of adults with lived experience of intellectual disabilities at the centre of art-making and exhibition design.
Our place is a sound artwork that playfully explore themes of happiness, rights and belonging. Within the exhibition design there are tactile, visual and bright neon artworks that light up the space. The sound artwork is played on a multi-speaker system, that creates an immersive experience. Everyone is welcome at Our Place and accessibility is embedded into every element.
The collaboration between artists AlanJames Burns, Sinead McCann and Saint John of God Liffey Services began in 2020 as an online creative sound project entitled Sound On!
Sound On! utilised accessible audio recording and editing software, fostering creativity and digital inclusion for adults living with intellectual disability. Funded by the Arts Council of Ireland’s Artist in the Community Scheme, managed by Create, the national development agency for collaborative arts, and was exhibited online at Headway Arts UK in 2021, funded by Culture Ireland.
In 2022-2023, the project evolved into Our Place, a physical exhibition at Riverbank Arts Centre that re-imagined Sound On!, into an immersive experience of sound art, storytelling, and interactive design elements. Funded by Creative Ireland Kildare and the Arts Council of Ireland’s Artist in the Community Scheme, managed by Create, and Riverbank Arts Centre.
In 2024-2025, the Our Place team worked across Saint John of God Community Services in Dublin and Kerry, with exhibitions at the RHA Gallery, Dublin and Kerry County Museum – this iteration is part of the 2026 national tour. Following this, the Our Place team worked with Delta Centre Carlow to develop a new phase of work Our Place, Carlow 2026 for Carlow Arts Festival and VISUAL. Funded by Rethink Ireland’s Disability Participation and Awareness Fund.
Our Place, Carlow employs lead co-designers Patrick Fitzgerald and Tony Davis, supported by Saint John of God Liffey Services to deliver rights based creative workshops with people supported by Delta Services Carlow. The artwork features stories and sounds from these workshops.
Creative participants for Our Place Carlow are Chantelle Meaney (co-designer) Andrew Shanley (co-designer), Ciara Brennan, Stephanie Canavan, Aidan Collins, Gary Craig, Jordan Foley, Jack Kelly, Michelle Kenny, Racquel Kent, Paulius Maciulis, Pauric Moran, Jamie Murnane, Catherine O’Neill, Jonathon O’Regan, Philip Rowan and Adam Williamson.
Music Composition and Sound Design by Peter Power
Exhibition Design by Ciara Murnane
Assistive Technology Co-Ordinator: Sarah Gavra Boland
Commisoned by Carlow Arts Festival.
Funded by Rethink Ireland’s Disability Participation and Awareness 3.0 Fund.
Co-created with Patrick Fitzgerald, David Dean, Laura Hickey.
In collaboration with Afeefah Memon, Aaron Doherty, Chloe Larkin, Daniel Obina Moses, Dillon McKeon, Doris Delaney, Ethan Browne, Ethan Deane, Finhas Tekeste, Gary McEnroe, Ian Coleman Horgan, Jordan, Kate McNamara, Katie Mahony, Meagan Lyons, Michaela Firlong, Niamh Cronin, Palumi, Sam D’Allesandro, Sasha Fitzgerald, Tony Davis, Trines, Wiktoria Porebreska.
Music Composition and Sound Design by Peter Power
Exhibition Design by Ciara Murnane
Funded by Rethink Ireland’s Disability Participation and Awareness Fund with consultation support by Create.
With this unique tour, Our Place continues its commitment to dismantle barriers to cultural engagement.
By presenting Our Place in disability community service settings, the tour creates a distinctive opportunity for people with intellectual disabilities to experience high-quality contemporary socially engaged art. By the community – in accessible community spaces.
The tour is generously funded by The Touring of Work Scheme, Arts Council of Ireland.
In collaboration with artists Aíne Walsh, David Carter, Keith Whelan, Laura Hickey, Aidan Winters, Conor Begley, David Carter, David Deane, Frances Quinn, Jonathan Smith, Niamh Fortune and Sean Winder.
Supported by Kildare’s Creative Ireland bursary awards 2023.
The sound artwork was developed over a six month period during Covid 19 lockdown, as part of the project ‘Sound On!’
Sound On! was funded by the Arts Council of Ireland Artist in Community Scheme, managed by Create Ireland.